Quote:
Originally Posted by Adm.Lee
The wrong war: grit, strategy and the way out of Afghanistan by "Bing" West.
West is also the author of the classic The Village, about a Combined Action Platoon in Vietnam. This is his book about hanging around Marines and soldiers in 2009 and 2010, and his recommendations as well. I thought the patrol reporting was well done, and the suggestions clear.
He does not over-hype the "Well, when I was in Vietnam, we did this..." angle, but he does draw parallels when they can be seen. In fact, he spends a fair amount of time on the places where classic Counterinsurgency prescriptions won't work, such as where the locals are deeply hostile, and the local government is too corrupt or incompetent to deliver meaningful services.
|
I've read
The Village, which I found a bit disappointing (probably since it's been widely touted as a classic) and also West's account of the battle of Fallujah,
No True Glory, which I enjoyed quite a bit.